Posts Tagged ‘Relationships’
How—And How Not—to Find a Mentor
So you want a mentor to help you start or grow your business? Find a question an expert can answer quickly without having a lot of specific knowledge about your case in detail. Make it a question that’s interesting or even fun to answer.
Read More The Importance of a Handshake and a Business Card
Online networking has become a focal point for small businesses, but don’t be so quick to discount the importance of good-old-fashioned handshakes, conversation, and business cards.
Read More 7 Tips for Mentors to Establish an Effective Relationship
I just finished reading Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, and the “Are You My Mentor?” chapter really stood out for me. It highlighted an issue I’ve grappled with for years: how awkward and ineffective a formal mentorship can be.
Read More Hone Your Networking Skills During the Holidays
While networking skills are critical for internal connections, getting referrals, finding a job, seeking clients, solidifying relationships with existing clients, and increasing spheres of influence, the holidays provide the opportunity to be comfortable and simply…connect.
Read More The Missing Piece to the Influencer Puzzle
If influence is the ability to move a person(s) to a desired and appropriate action, then what is its lynchpin? What is that one thing that will make the difference?
Read More Easy Tips for Customer Service on Social Networks
All businesses are seeing a shift in customer service to the Internet rather than the phone or in-person. Small businesses in particular may see this shift as a positive.
Read More How to Get Startup Ideas by Interviewing Customers
The first step in building a product people love is to identify a problem that some group of people have. Solutions to clearly defined customer pain points make for the most compelling value propositions. You don’t need to start with a “startup idea.”
Read More The Loyal Bird Catches the Worm: Rewarding Your Repeat Customers
The great thing about being a small business owner is getting to know your customers. The folks who come into your shop frequently or contact you on a regular basis are the ones whose stories you remember and whose favorite brand of leather boots you keep in stock.
Read More Nelson Mandela: The Ultimate Influencer
The world lost a great human being last week when former South African President, Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95. What I would like to discuss in this post is how it turns out that he is the embodiment of the Five Key Principles of Ultimate Influence in Adversaries into Allies.
Read More The Best Clients I’ll Ever Defend
Is every potential client a good fit for you? Before you answer, think carefully: every single one? Fairly often, I get quizzical looks when I tell people that I work almost exclusively with small non-profit organizations and very small mission-driven businesses.
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